Herbs seem to work best if they are moved around once in
awhile. It brings the oils to the surface of the leaves and releases
more of what it is that the pests don't like. Just brushing against a
growing plant or stirring up the leaves of a dried one should do it.BAY LEAF
You can grow bay outside in the summer, but you will need to
bring it indoors during the winter months. You can always buy dried bay
leaf at the store if you find you are unable to grow it; the dried
variety that you put in stews and soups works as well as the fresh for
keeping pests away. You can put one bay leaf in fifty pounds of wheat
berries or organic white flour and it will keep the weevils out of it.
If you do not happen to buy flour in those quantities you can add a bay
leaf to a smaller sized container with similar results. Other items that
it will protect are: barley, cornmeal, oatmeal, quinoa, and rice.Most cereal
products will be just fine for months with the bay leaves to protect
them. Scatter a few leaves on the pantry shelves to repel moths,
roaches, earwigs, and mice. Flies seem to hate the smell of bay leaves
too. Who knew they had such sensitive olfactory (sense of smell) nerves?
BASIL
There are about a million kinds of basil with new varieties
being introduced all the time. Basil is a beautiful fragrant plant that
grows easily in most climates. It even tolerates the dry Texas heat
pretty well. Most people know fresh basil is delicious in
pesto, tomato based dishes, and salads; but, did you also know that it
is one of the best ways to keep flies out of your house? Just plant
basil next to the doors, use as a foundation planting mixed in with your
flowers, or plant in containers...The flies will stay far away.
You can grow basil
in containers by your picnic table or on your patio and cut a nice size
bunch of it to decorate the blanket with when you go to a remote picnic
spot. As an added bonus, mosquitoes don't like it either. Choose your
favorite, all the basil that I have tried works equally as well.
LAVENDER
Lavender smells
wonderful and if you have never used lavender buds in cooking you should
give it a try. In small amounts it adds a wonderful floral and citrus
flavor to baked goods, meats, and even vegetables. Lavender also repels
moths, mosquitoes, and fleas.
- Hang a bundle of it in your closet or lay a few sprigs of it in with the out of season clothes you are storing.
- Grind it to a powder and sprinkle it on your pet's bedding.
- Grow it in containers on your patio to repel mosquitoes.
- Grow it in your kitchen garden to keep rabbits out of your lettuce and spinach
MINT
Mint, catnip, and pennyroyal planted around the foundation of
your house can keep both ants and mice out of your home. Neither of
these pests seem to like the smell and all but the most determined will
head to a better smelling yard. You can also place shallow bowls of the
dried mint leaves in your pantry to discourage mice. Pennyroyal is also
repugnant to fleas, ants, flies, and mosquitoes. Just be careful of it
because large amounts of pennyroyal can be toxic to pets and children.
You can place dried pennyroyal on your pantry shelves and it will keep
ants away. Just a quick warning about mice. They love anise. Keep anise
in jars or it will draw mice to your pantry no matter how much mint you
have out! You can use anise to bait live traps with excellent results.
ROSEMARY
ROSEMARY
Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, not only for cooking
and grilling but because it has a number of uses medicinally and as a
household herb. As it grows it repels mosquitoes. Try planting it around
your patio or any area that you use in the evenings to keep the air
smelling fresh and the mosquitoes on someone else's property. Rosemary
also repels cats, so planting it around the kids sandbox is a good idea.
You can use rosemary springs under the cushions to keep the cats off
the furniture but beware - the oils in the rosemary can stain the
cushions. Be sure they are the one sided type.
SWEET WOODRUFF
This herb has long been used to deter carpet beetles and
moths. Just lay it beneath wool carpets (or other types). It may also
deter ants. An added benefit is that it releases a sweet scent when you
walk across your rugs.
TANSY
Tansy is another little known herb that repels flies, ants,
fleas, moths, and mice. Its flowers resemble marigolds or yellow
Bachelor's Buttons and it makes a great foundation planting. Tansy was
traditionally used by churches as a strewing herb (spread and scattered
loosely around the grounds) in the Middle Ages. Herbs were
the original household cleaners, disinfectants, and bug repellents. They
had been used for thousands of years with good results before humankind
came up with toxic chemicals in a can. These herbs are not only better
for the environment; they actually improve the environment. Herbs
continue to work for you when you have finished with them and discarded
them to the compost heap. They enrich the soil, add nutrients, and some
(like Valerian) attract beneficial earthworms. Next time you are tempted to reach for the fly spray, reach for the basil or bay leaf instead.
NATURAL FLY RELIEF FOR YOUR BARN
For those of us with barns and corrals you can utilize the most effective, safe, and natural fly killer from the chief fly guy, Tom Spaldling; click for more amazing information: Spalding Fly Predators!
(Article, 7 Herbs that deter flies naturally, from Marye Audet, Planet Green, 2012, TLC Discovery Communications online)
